This time, after using the grace to teleport, Lucian chose to return directly to Stormveil.
Since he had already obtained the Nox Mirrorhelm, he should hurry and deliver it to Master Iji, so the old blacksmith could modify it into a design suitable for Blaidd to wear.
Something this important… it was better to handle sooner rather than later.
After the Festival of Combat ended, Master Iji should have returned straight to Stormveil. So Lucian naturally intended to go back there to find him.
However, when Lucian arrived at Stormveil, he did not see Master Iji anywhere in the castle.
Lucian went to ask Lancelot, but he received no record of Iji entering through the main gate.
Lancelot also told him that none of the patrolling Silver Knights stationed throughout the castle had seen Master Iji either.
Lucian found this strange. That shouldn't be possible.
After so many days, with Master Iji's pace, he should have reached Stormveil long ago.
Unlike Blaidd, Master Iji was not someone who got lost. There was simply no way he would take the wrong path.
If he took the main road, several days would definitely have been enough for him.
Thinking for a moment, Lucian decided to let the Stormhawks look into it.
Lucian walked to his throne.
Beside Lucian's throne was a luxurious-looking container set upon a small altar.
Inside it rested the ashes of the Ancient Stormhawk King.
Ever since Lucian reclaimed Stormveil, he had kept the Ancient King here.
After all, this was the king's birthplace. The Ancient King was content to remain here, able to use the winds of his homeland to his advantage.
On ordinary days, the Ancient King watched over everything in Stormveil through the storm.The patrol routes of the Stormhawks were also arranged entirely under his command.
Lucian briefly explained the situation, describing Master Iji's appearance and features.
The Ancient King swiftly sent those details to every Stormhawk currently patrolling, instructing them to report if they had seen anyone matching that description.
Soon, several Stormhawks sent back the message that they had seen someone fitting Lucian's description.
The most recent sighting was roughly ten minutes ago.
By piecing together the information from various Stormhawks, Lucian learned:
Master Iji had traveled from Caelid, heading toward Stormveil as expected — but partway through, he changed direction.
Afterward, he took the main road toward the Weeping Peninsula, and then at some point, simply vanished from their sight.
As expected, when it came to tracking someone anywhere in Limgrave, Stormhawks were the most reliable.
But this was strange… Master Iji had not taken the route one would normally use to go from Caelid to Stormveil.
There was no way he would miss the correct path.
And then, he disappeared at one point?
Suddenly, Lucian remembered someone he had practically forgotten.
The Bloodhound Knight — Darriwil.
According to Blaidd, Darriwil betrayed Ranni, but then disappeared without a trace.
But Lucian knew the truth: Master Iji had imprisoned him in a Forlorn Hound Evergaol tucked away in a corner of Limgrave.
And that Evergaol was located exactly along the route Master Iji had taken this time.
In other words, after leaving Caelid, Master Iji had gone straight toward that Evergaol.
Disappearing from the Stormhawks' vision meant he had likely entered the Evergaol.
Was Master Iji preparing to clear the place out… so that Blaidd could be locked in there if needed?
Thinking this through, Lucian teleported to the grace nearest the Evergaol.
Before long, Torrent carried Lucian to the hilltop where the Evergaol was located.
As soon as Lucian entered the Evergaol, he saw—Master Iji beating Darriwil half to death.
Master Iji… and he says he "can't fight"?
Right now, it looked like their battle was approaching its end.
Lucian saw Iji swinging his massive warhammer downward toward Darriwil, each strike smashing into the ground with overwhelming impact, stone tiles cracking apart and sending chunks of rock flying.
Even Darriwil, who moved with the Bloodhound's nimble footwork, couldn't completely avoid such force. The shockwaves were too strong.
Much of the Evergaol's ground had been pounded into rubble already. It seemed the two had been fighting for quite some time.
Both of them were covered in injuries—Iji's wounds were numerous, thin, and constantly bleeding.
But Darriwil's condition was far worse: one arm had been completely crushed into pulp, armor and flesh fused together, and much of his armor had caved in.
Finally, Iji caught a perfect opportunity: he swung once more and slammed Darriwil into the ground, leaving the Bloodhound Knight unable to fight.
One final swing from Iji's hammer ended Darriwil's life.
Breathing heavily, Iji finally noticed Lucian enter. Instinctively, he tried to hide his massive hammer behind him.
Unfortunately, the hammer was far too enormous; not even a Troll's body could conceal it fully.
"Oh—!? Lord Lucian… You actually came to this place…"
Lucian waved a hand casually.
"Master Iji, I'm more curious why you're here."
"Do you have a grudge against the one lying on the ground?"
Master Iji placed his hammer down and sat on the ground without caring about appearances.
Even though he still had strength, he truly had not fought like this in a very long time. He really was getting old.
"He is Darriwil… the Bloodhound Knight."
"…He betrayed Lady Ranni."
"I happened to be in Limgrave, so I came here to deal with him."
Lucian nodded and casually used Soothing Sunlight to mend Iji's injuries.
"I heard Blaidd mention him before. He even asked me to help search for this man."
Iji glanced at the fallen Darriwil and sighed.
"Bloodhound Knights receive the training of the Bloodhound, and are known as relentless pursuers."
"They do not rely on spoken communication. Once they choose a master, they never betray them."
Since he could not speak, there was truly no way to learn what exactly happened to him.
Lucian had two possible guesses about the situation:
The first explanation was that Bloodhound Knights recognize their masters through scent.
Darriwil had acknowledged Ranni's physical body as his master, but when Ranni abandoned her flesh, he might have believed that he had lost his master entirely.
The second explanation was that the Two Fingers had seized control over Darriwil.
After all, Iji had almost no relationship with the Two Fingers, yet he wore the Mirrorhelm at all times, fearing that he might betray Ranni.
Which implied one thing clearly:The Two Fingers truly did possess the ability to control living beings.
But no matter which explanation was correct… Darriwil was already dead. How he had betrayed Ranni no longer mattered.
Lucian looked toward Iji and asked:
"Master Iji, it seems like you already knew Darriwil was hiding here, didn't you?"
"The Stormhawks told me you came straight toward this location."
"Why didn't you tell Blaidd before? He has been searching for Darriwil for a long time, hasn't he?"
Iji paused, saying nothing.
He seemed to be thinking about how to gloss over the matter, but Lucian spoke again before he could attempt it:
"Master Iji, you're the one who imprisoned Darriwil here, right?"
Iji was completely shocked. He had no idea how Lucian had reached that conclusion.
But the truth was exactly as Lucian said — it had been Iji who secretly locked Darriwil inside this isolated Evergaol.
Regardless of how Lucian had discovered it, since Lucian already knew the truth, there was no point in Iji trying to hide it anymore.
Iji admitted openly:
"Yes, that is correct."
"It was indeed I who hid Darriwil here."
"He used to be one of Lady Ranni's most capable retainers, but unfortunately, he later went mad and betrayed her."
"However… that matter was not entirely his fault."
"So I secretly concealed him here, keeping it from Blaidd, hoping to spare his life…"
Lucian asked Iji again:
"Then, Master Iji, why did you change your mind now? What made you decide to come personally and kill Darriwil?"
Iji considered Lucian's relationship with Ranni before he slowly began to speak:
"…Very well. I will tell you everything."
"Blaidd is a servant bestowed upon Lady Ranni by the Two Fingers. He will never betray her — he is her shadow."
"Blaidd is the shadow, but he is also Lady Ranni's sworn brother."
"Lady Ranni's mother, Lady Rennala, approved their oath."
"When they were young, they looked truly like real siblings. I often accompanied the two of them while they played."
"When Lady Ranni chose to abandon her body and walk the dark path of a future Empyrean…"
"Both Blaidd and I chose to become her loyal vassals."
"That childhood spent together… surely all of us remember those days."
Iji paused again, then spoke of what would eventually happen to Blaidd:
"But Lady Ranni, as an Empyrean, rejected becoming a puppet of the Two Fingers."
"And from that moment… the shadow would inevitably go mad."
"For Lady Ranni, it is a terrifying curse."
"…It is predetermined, something Blaidd's own will cannot resist."
"To do this is painful… but for Lady Ranni's sake, I had no choice but to plan to seal him away."
"At the very least… this would spare everyone from witnessing the cruel sight of siblings slaughtering one another."
Lucian nodded.
"So that's how it is."
"So your plan was to empty Darriwil's Evergaol and have Blaidd stay here?"
Iji remained silent for a moment, then nodded.
"Yes. That was exactly my intention."
"Blaidd has been under your care before, I thank you for that."
"He has always been rigid and strict by nature… So please keep this from him."
"Do not tell him that he is destined to betray Lady Ranni. Such cruelty would break his heart."
Lucian smiled lightly.
"There's actually no need for that."
"Blaidd does not have to be imprisoned."
"If we can simply prevent the Two Fingers from interfering with him, that solves the problem, doesn't it?"
Iji shook his head.
Even though Lucian was powerful, matters involving the Two Fingers were beyond what most people could imagine — their influence was terrifying.
"There is a way to block the interference of the Two Fingers."
"But it is extremely difficult, and we have absolutely no clues to work with."
Iji tapped the Mirrorhelm on his head, explaining to Lucian:
"This is a precious relic of the Nox — the Mirrorhelm."
"This helmet can repel any intrusion or manipulation, and it is said to deflect even the interference of the Greater Will and its emissaries, the Fingers."
"But I cannot remove it. If I do, I may be manipulated as well… and could betray Lady Ranni."
"If we had a second Mirrorhelm, then indeed, we could solve Blaidd's predicament."
"But unfortunately, there may not even be a second one anywhere in the Lands Between…"
Lucian reached into his spatial disk and took out the newly acquired Nox Mirrorhelm.
"A second Mirrorhelm."
"We actually have one."
Under his helmet, Iji's jaw fell open, and he remained speechless for a long, long time.